When India plays Pakistan next
Sachin and Akhtar
By Anil - 18 July, '03
July 19 2002
When is the next time the national teams of India and Pakistan might play each other in a cricket match? It has been two and a half years since they last played an ODI and three and a half years since their last Test, due to political issues.
All 9 main Test playing countries will play in the ICC Champions Trophy, due to be held in Sri Lanka this September 12-30. In addition Bangladesh, Kenya and Holland will compete to round off a total of 12 competing teams.
Pool games
India is in the same pool as England and Zimbabwe. If all goes according to rankings, India should win its pool and meet South Africa in the semi-finals, assuming it can overcome England which has been performing well lately. Pakistan is in the same pool as Sri Lanka and Holland, and will find it a tough challenge to qualify for the semi-final by beating Lanka on its own turf with a rampant Murali, the highest rated ODI and Test bowler in the world. Pakistan has had a poor record against Sri Lanka lately, even on its own soil.
Semi-finals
If Pakistan does qualify for the semi-final, it will likely meet Australia in the semifinal, whose main competition in its pool is New Zealand. Again it is not a given that Australia will win with an indifferent recent record against its island neighbor, and the fact that the match is being played on flat Lanka pitches rather than the bouncy pitches that their pace-heavy attack thrive on. Most matches will be day-night fixtures in the Premadasa cricket stadium.
Finals?
Hence, the only way India can meet Pakistan is in the final, which would require that India defeat South Africa and Pakistan defeat Australia in their respective semifinals (assuming each won its pool matches). The likelihood is slim but not impossible, given familiar subcontinental conditions for the 2 teams.
World Cup '03
If that doesn't pan out, India will meet Pakistan in the 2003 World Cup on Saturday March 1 '03 in Centurion Park, South Africa barring any override by the Indian government. This is a fixture that will be highly anticipated by fans in both countries, with India fans having the comfort of knowing that India has defeated Pakistan on each of three occasions when the two countries have met in a World Cup match.
Favorites
Several ICC rules have changed for this competition, with umpires being allowed to consult video replays to confirm both catches and LBW decisions. The favorite to win? It will be a tossup between 4 teams who will be considered equal contenders for the title here: the always-dangerous Aussies, hosts Sri Lanka who have been near-invincible at home for the last two years, India which performed well last year in Lanka even while missing many of their key players, and Pakistan which has been surging up in the rankings. Whatever the result, it will be a tournament that will be keenly followed by cricket fans the world over.